Chapter 111: The Wall of Art, A Collective Creation by One Hundred

"A bold idea?" Hai Lanzhing was taken aback.

The overall flow of the day and the results achieved so far had already exceeded her expectations. Why did Lin Shenlu have another bold idea at this moment?

"That’s right!" Lin Shenlu smiled. "Go and bring over the host you hired," he said with a grin.

Although Hai Lanzhing was confused, she knew that Lin Shenlu often came up with unconventional ideas. Even if she couldn't grasp them at first, time and again, reality proved that Lin Shenlu always brought her infinite surprises.

...

Before long, the host finished consulting with Lin Shenlu, and Lin Shenlu left first.

The host picked up the microphone and announced, "Respected artists here today, our organizers cordially invite all those who have completed their works to head to the back wall of the inn. Our final program for today is for everyone to collectively create an 'Art Wall' that belongs to Whale Deer Inn!"

Upon hearing this, Hai Lanzhing was stunned. What was this? The back wall of the inn? If she remembered correctly, that wall was about thirty or forty square meters. When Lu Zhaoxi was renovating, he had mentioned that no one really went back there, so he had just given it a simple coat of paint; since it backed up against the forest, he hadn't bothered with further decoration.

But now, Lin Shenlu’s bold idea was to have a hundred people create a mural on that back wall. What a magnificent scene that would be! And the commemorative significance would be profound.

Many artists present who had finished their work looked at each other; it seemed like an interesting endeavor. Art was inherently about mutual appreciation, and creating something together with so many people was a truly meaningful experience. Regardless of age or gender, whether professional or amateur, anyone present today could contribute a few strokes.

Soon, many people were carrying palettes and brushes, walking around the inn toward the back wall. Hai Lanzhing naturally followed.

When the first group arrived at the back wall, they saw that before the massive expanse of wall, only one person was painting. Hai Lanzhing looked closely and realized it was Lin Shenlu. After giving instructions to the host, he had come over to start working himself.

The artists who arrived, seeing that someone had already begun, simply picked up their brushes and stepped forward, choosing a spot to start their own work. The wall was so large that no single person could possibly dominate it with a massive solo piece. Since it was a collective effort, everyone painted their own section, working together to complete the wall without interfering with one another. Along the eight or nine-meter-long wall, a dozen early arrivals staked out their respective spots and began to conceive their works.

Hai Lanzhing walked up to Lin Shenlu. He was crouching on the ground, painting meticulously. His composition was already set, stretching from one corner of the wall for about a meter and a half. Although the length was significant, it was confined to the very bottom of the wall near the ground. Blue seawater and white foam were surging in the corner—this was Lin Shenlu’s signature "Carefree Blue." He had painted a small piece of the ocean.

Hai Lanzhing was at a loss for words. This newly opened inn was truly the condensation of so many people's efforts. What was painted on this wall was not just art, but the artistic hearts of a group of people. It was a carnival of painting for everyone.

...

Among the crowd, a man in his sixties sat happily on a small stool, focused intently on painting a peach blossom tree. Next to him, a young girl was painting falling petals drifting in the wind beneath the tree. Beside the girl, a young child was earnestly painting a little girl holding a plush bear amidst the rain of petals.

Everyone exchanged smiles; it turned out that artistic creation could be so interesting and joyful. It turned out that completing a painting no longer had to be a solitary struggle.

In another corner, three young people in their twenties were working together on a sea of sunflowers. This direction faced east, so every morning, when the first rays of sunlight touched the wall, this small patch of sunflowers would be the first to bathe in the light.

Artists continued to arrive one after another. The crowd along the wall grew. Some even brought ladders to reach the blank spaces high up that were hard for others to touch.

At this moment, Teacher Xiaoshou and Wu Heng arrived together. Teacher Xiaoshou was rubbing his hands, having just been scolded by Wu Heng. Throughout the entire day of the exhibition, the only thing Xiaoshou had done was run into the woods to pee. Encouraged by Wu Heng, the two each picked up a brush, ready to leave their own mark on this wall of art.

Gu Yan Painting Village hadn't been this lively in a long time. Wu Heng’s thoughts were simple. Perhaps life had no meaning, but if one just drifted through it, wouldn't life be incredibly boring? At the very least, adding even a tiny spark of brilliance to a dull life might prove that one had truly existed.

As for Xiaoshou... he was just joining in the fun. As a professional artist, Xiaoshou was an expert with a pen, but this was his first time picking up a paintbrush for a mural.

"Little Wu... do you think there are green flowers?" Xiaoshou asked curiously, biting the tip of his brush.

"Brother Shou... why would you want to paint a green flower?" Wu Heng asked, puzzled.

"Look at these dozens of people gathered here; there are too many flowers—red, white, yellow, pink, purple, they're all here... I want to be a bit unique and paint a green one... but I don't know if green flowers exist in the world," Xiaoshou said thoughtfully.

"Green flowers do exist; I've received them before. Eustoma comes in light green... but for a green flower... what color leaves would you pair it with? Brother Shou, can you be serious? Don't ruin this Art Wall; this is the hard work that Sister Whale and Brother Lin have spent so much time on!" Wu Heng sighed.

They say that people in the arts all have a few quirks, and after getting to know Xiaoshou, Wu Heng felt this was certainly true. Teacher Xiaoshou’s work was indeed excellent, his romantic flair was abundant, but his lifestyle and attitude toward things were truly strange. It made Wu Heng feel that being a normal, ordinary person like herself might not be so bad. If one day she turned into someone like Xiaoshou, she begged someone to put her out of her misery.

Wu Heng pondered for a long time. She wanted to paint a bird on the wall—a bird that would fly very high. Higher than everything else. But how could she show height? Surely painting it at the very top wasn't the only way?

Just as Wu Heng was conceptualizing her work, "Little Wu, hold my brush for a second... I ate too much, my stomach hurts... I need to go squat for a bit..." Xiaoshou said, frowning and rubbing his belly.

Wu Heng looked at the brush in her hand, tempted to plug it into Xiaoshou.